Why Is High Blood Pressure in African-Americans Such a Problem?
To date, researchers do not have a definitive answer to this question, but believe that high blood pressure in African-Americans may be triggered by the following factors: • Genetic factors. High rates of high blood pressure in African-Americans may be due to the genetic make-up of people of African descent. Researchers have uncovered some facts: In Africa, blacks who maintain traditional lifestyles have few problems with high blood pressure. In the U.S, blacks respond differently to high blood pressure drugs than do other groups of people. Blacks in the U.S. also seem to be more sensitive to salt. • Environmental factors. Some scientists believe that high blood pressure in African-Americans is due to factors unique to the experience of blacks in the U.S. Blacks worldwide have rates of high blood pressure that are similar to whites. In the U.S., however, the difference is dramatic: 41% of blacks have high blood pressure, as compared to 27% of whites. In addition, black people in the U.
